Bella, Imprinted
by tauphe
Summary: What if Jacob Black was already a werewolf when Edward left Bella?What if he were the one to find her in the forest, instead of Sam? And what happens when his Imprint is in love with a parasite?Extended summary inside.Rating may go up.JxB,AU,New Moon
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

**This story came to me while reading several Imprint fics, and having always been a huge BellaxJacob fan. In the books, I felt that Bella had so much more personality when she was with Jacob. When she was with Edward, she was like a ragdoll, bending and twisting to anything Edward said. An unhealthy relationship, I thought. Bella seemed so much more of a Jacob girl to me. This story is loosely planned out, and will be shifting from both Jacob's and Bella's point of view, and maybe others. We'll see.**

**Summary:**

**While Bella was running from a vampire that wanted to kill her and in a hospital in Phoenix, Jacob Black experienced his first Phase. He adjusted to life as a werewolf, but he suddenly missed his friend from Forks more than anything in the world. Bella Swan, who he had had a crush on ever since his walk with her at the First Beach. When he hears that she's gone missing, he runs over to look for her, and the rest of his pack comes to help him. He looks the forest for her, the smell of parasite reeking, and leading him right to her. When she opens her eyes and looks into his, the world moves, and he looks into the eyes of his soulmate.**

. ... .

"Bella, I don't want you to come with me." Edward spoke the words slowly and precisely, his cold eyes on my face, as I absorbed what he was really saying.

There was a pause in the air, as the true meaning behind the words hit home. I put a hand on my chest, trying to stop the pain that was slowly building up there.

"You…don't…want me?" I said, confused. The words sounded odd to me, out of order. Still, they hung in the air, waiting for a response.

"No."

There was another pause. My hand dropped from my chest, and the pain stopped. In its place was a great numbness, and I wasn't sure which was worse.

"Well, that changes things." My voice was calm, reasonable. The full severity of the situation lost on me. It made no sense.

He looked away from me, his voice cold. "Of course, I'll always love you," he paused, and my heart hammered for a second, before suddenly crashing again, "…in a way. But what happened the other night made me realize that it's time for a change. Because I'm…_tired_ of pretending to be something I'm not, Bella. I am not human." I looked at him, and I agreed. His perfection, his beauty, they were not at all human. "I've let this go on for much too long, and I'm sorry for that."

I blinked, saying nothing. What was there to say? I didn't understand what he was saying. Should I laugh? Get down on my knees and beg him to stay? Or at least beg him to kill me before he left…? Because that's what he was doing, I realized. He was leaving me.

Edward smiled at me gently. "Don't worry. You're human--your memory is no more than a sieve. Time heals all wounds for your kind."

I looked at him, and suddenly a rush of something flooded my stomach. "And your memories?" I asked, the sound coming out forced, like I was trying to talk while swallowing.

He smiled, his razor sharp teeth gleaming even in the poor light of Forks, "I won't forget. But _my_ kind, well, we're easily distracted." There was a tone in his voice that cut me, straight to the bone. It was almost as if he were taunting me.

"I do suppose there's something better out there to distract yourself with then me," I agreed, as tears pricked my eyes. I looked down.

He didn't respond to that, deciding to step away from me. "That's everything, I suppose. We won't bother you again."

I looked up at this, the plural catching me off guard. "Alice…" I said, my heart breaking more, "she's gone, too, isn't she?"

"Yes, she's gone. Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie, Alice, they're all gone. I stayed behind to tell you goodbye."

"Alice is gone?"

"She wanted to stay behind to tell you goodbye, but I convinced her that it would be best this way," he told me, quietly.

"Yeah, because you always know what's best for me, don't you, Edward? Damn you! If this is about my soul, take it! I don't want it! It's nothing without you. It's already yours!" I half-yelled at him. Emotion was finally breaking through. Anger, white and hot.

He again ignored my outburst, "Goodbye, Bella," he said, in a quiet, peaceful tone.

"Wait!" the word ripped from my chest, as my arms reached for him.

He took me, then, wrapping his arms around my shoulders as he pulled me close. Breath left my body in a _whoosh_, but I quickly recovered, inhaling deeply so I would never forget his scent."I'm sorry, Bella. It's best this way." His tone was as if he were a parent talking to a child that required great patience. It cut me again.

"Then leave!" I screamed, shoving against him, "Leave, then, if it's best!" My hands hit his sides, hurting me more than it hurt him, I know, but it was enough for him to pull back in shock. I had never reacted so violently to anything in my life. But he was leaving me and ripping my heart out so he could take it with him. It hurt, and I wanted to hurt him even more. It was a human thing to do, and if he wanted me to be human, then I wanted him to face the consequences, even for a minute.

"I hate you!" I screamed it right into his face. The hurt was blinding, like hot oil all over my skin. "You come into my life, make me fall in love with you, get me kidnapped and tortured by some crazy vampire, and then leave me! Fine! Go! Leave and take all your _freak _shit with you! I never want to see you again!"

For a second, I saw a flash of pain cross his features. And then he was gone.

I stood still for a moment. "Edward?" I called, fear flooding my senses. No response. "Edward?" Silence.

Fear hit me hard now, and I surged forward. "Edward!" I yelled, as I ran, tripping and stumbling over branches and roots.

I think I was running in circles, but I didn't know where else to run. I yelled his name over and over. Sobs wracked my chest, and the next time I fell, I didn't bother getting back up. I curled my body, lifting my knees to my chest as I wrapped my arms around my chest.

Night fell, and there was complete darkness. Figures. A new moon. The sounds of the forest were quiet, and I was completely alone in my misery. Pain replaced blood and every time my heart beat, it pushed it through my body in a repeating cycle.

I think I slept. When I woke up, I was in someone's arms. They were strong, and my heart soared as I thought for a brief, split second, that Edward had come back to me. Then I noticed heat; something that Edward lacked. And not just any heat, but very, very _hot_ heat. I opened my eyes, blinking rapidly from the pain of all the grit and dirt that had gotten trapped in there during my slumber, and allowing my eyes to adjust.

"Bella…" it was a familiar voice, one that enveloped me in comfort. A friend.

"Jacob," I said, my throat raspy and sore from all the yelling I had done. I looked up at him, meeting his eyes.

For a second, his eyes were relieved, that he found me, I'd assume. But then, a split second after I looked into his eyes, the look changed to a look of wonder and awe, and he swayed a bit. I tensed, preparing for him to fall, but he didn't. He regained his balance.

"I'm going to take you home, okay? Charlie's worried sick about you."

. ... .

**Please review. I don't want any Jacob Hating, though. I don't hate on Edward, when I read his fics. Give me the same courtesy, please. I'd love to hear from you.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Okay, well, I got reasonably good feedback for last chapter, and I want to thank all of you that reviewed. I really appreciate it. It's not that I don't enjoy alerts and favorites, but I'd love it if you were to stop and leave a review, even if it's just one or two words. **

**I want to let you all know that just because Jacob Imprinted on Bella does not mean that everything will be happy and fluffy and cheerful right away. Bella _did, _and_ does,_ at this point in the story_,_ love Edward, and the pain of being left and abandoned by a love one does not go away at the drop of a dime. Even though she's got her soulmate right in front of her face, heartbreak takes _time_ to heal. I also don't want this to be an 'instant love' Imprint story. The time that Bella had with Jake before he transformed the first time in New Moon was _crucial_, and created a foundation for their relationship and I _refuse_ to drop that completely from my story.**

**That being said, here's the next chapter. We get to see into Jake's head a little bit, so enjoy. **

. ... .

**Bella's POV**

'Worried sick' might have been the understatement of the decade, I thought, as Jacob carried me out of the forest. Police cruisers were outside my house, and six of seven cops were all crowded around Charlie, as they looked at maps of the forest.

"Charlie, I found her," Jacob called, and I noticed for the first time that he wasn't wearing a shirt. The realization was slow coming, as he had been carrying me for at least five minutes. My senses felt slow, and I tried to think clearly, but there was only one clear, absolute thought in my head.

He left me.

_No, no, no, _I thought desperately. _We just got into a fight. Couples do that. He'll be back_. I knew he would. He had to be. I couldn't live without him.

I closed my eyes once I saw Charlie coming towards me. I noticed, in a detached, small part of my mind, that he looked like he aged ten years from the last time I saw him.

"Bella," he said, his voice relieved, and I instantly felt guilty. Poor Charlie. How long had I been gone? He reached for me, but Jacob pulled me closer.

"I've got her, Chief Swan. I'll take her in," Jacob said, and Charlie paused, before nodding. Jacob then began to move again, and I let my head rest against his arm. I was so tired, and so drained. My body felt fragile, and I thought, without much emotion, that Jacob could easily snap me in half.

He carried me to the door, and I thought he'd put me down, but instead he supported my full weight with one arm, as he opened the door. I was grateful I didn't have to walk; my legs didn't feel like they could stand.

I thought he was going to dump me on the couch, but he continued up the stairs, and I wondered how he knew where my room was. But then, there were only two rooms, and the one right at the top of the stairs was Charlie's, so I guess he was able to know by process of elimination.

He set me on my bed, and I sat at the edge, looking forward. I couldn't move. I didn't want to. Everything hurt, and maybe if I stayed absolutely, completely still, it would stop.

As if from a distance, I heard Jacob sigh, and he knelt down, to take off my shoes for me. He was careful, and before I knew it, he was standing again.

"Are you wearing a t-shirt under that?" he asked, and for a second I was confused. T-shirt? Why were we talking about t-shirts? The love of my life just left me, and he was talking to me about t-shirts? But then I realized he was pulling on the sleeve of my damp hoodie, and I realized he was trying to get me warm. I nodded, in answer to his question, and he gently brought it over my head, and pulled down the shirt under it when it started to ride up.

He then pushed my shoulders back, lightly, and guided me to my pillows. He put my legs on the bed so that I was laying, and then pulled my covers up to just under my chin.

"You should rest, Bella," he told me, and I realized that if he hadn't gotten me into bed, I would have sat there on the edge of my bed for the rest of the night. He left my room, pulling my door shut softly behind him.

"Thank you, Jake, for finding her," came Charlie's voice from the other side of the door, quietly, so as not to disturb me.

"It's no problem, Chief. Bella's my friend," Jake said, honesty in his voice.

"I know that," Charlie said, and then paused. "What's going on on the Reservation, Jake?"

There was another pause, and I imagined Jake shifting uncomfortably. "They're burning some trees, in celebration, sir."

"What's to celebrate?"

"The Cullens leaving, sir."

A bolt of pain shocked through my body, and I curled into a tight ball in my bed. Jacob's words ran through my head, stabbing more and more each time. _The Cullens leaving, the Cullens leaving, the Cullens leaving._ I bit my thumb knuckle not to scream.

"Jake! Are you okay, son?" Charlie said, no longer quiet. Something must have surprised him.

"I'm…fine," Jacob said, sounding strained. "I've got to get back to the reservation, now, sir. I'm glad I could find Bella for you," he said, and I heard heavy footsteps go down the hall, and descend the stairs.

A few seconds pause, and my door opened. I shut my eyes, and tried to relax enough to look like I was sleeping. As much as I felt guilty for worrying Charlie, I didn't want to answer questions now.

"Bella?" he asked quietly, and I didn't respond. He waited for another minute, sighed, and then stood up, walking out of my room and closing the door quietly behind me.

I listened to him walk down the stairs, and then gave myself up to the blackness that had been threatening to pull me under again since Jacob picked me up in the forest.

. … .

**Jacob's POV**

. ... .

I walked out of Chief Swan's house, my heart pounding in my ears, blocking out all other sounds. There was a sharp pain in my chest, and I looked up at the second story of Bella's house. Bella was in pain, and I felt it. Not just any pain, but a deep, aching pain that shook me to the core.

There was another pain, too, as I walked away from her house. A pain of leaving part of yourself behind.

Because that's what Bella was, now, I knew. She was an extension of myself.

She was so many other things to me, now. She was my anchor; gravity no longer held me to the earth's surface, she did. She was my sunshine, rain, snow, warmth and cold. All the ties I felt to everyone, my pack, my friends, my father, were still there but they retreated in the brilliancy of this one, new connection I had with Bella. My world began with Bella, and my world ended with her, too.

So this was what Imprinting was like.

I hadn't seen Bella since my first transformation, which explained why I had been missing her so much. Had my subconscious known Bella was my soul mate, and had been pushing me to her, despite my reluctance? I had known her before I transformed, and had even had a crush on her. Did that have anything to do with it?

Part of me wanted to transform, and have all of my packmates join my mind and join in my feelings. Maybe they could tell me what I was feeling, because I sure as hell didn't know. I didn't, though, because, at least for a little while, I wanted my thoughts to be my own, and uninfluenced by the members of my pack.

Imprinting was a wolf's way of knowing that they had found the woman they were meant for. It didn't create love, but it saved you all the time and heartbreak of looking for the one, true mate that you were put on this earth to have.

While Imprinting didn't create love, it created a need to protect. I felt it so strongly, in the bottom of my stomach, but how could I protect her from heartbreak?

Heartbreak over a filthy leech. I could smell it on her, even in the forest. The smell hung around her, pungent and offensive. When I went into her house, it was there, too. Faint, at first, until I reached her room, which was just as pungent as she was. The smell had made me want to gag.

I had known about her boyfriend, but my pack hadn't been able to do anything about it. It was her choice, and as long as the parasite wasn't taking a chomp out of her, there was nothing we could do to stop it.

Still, the anger of knowing that the bloodsucker had been in her room, in her _bed_, now infuriated me to no end. Knowing that the bloodsucker had touched Bella, _my_ Bella, it made me want to go after him and his sorry family, and exterminate another coven of parasites.

The anger confused me. What feelings did I have for Bella? I had known her since I was little, when she used to play with my sisters. I had seen her a few times during the summer, when Charlie went fishing and she had tagged along, miserable. But after that, the first time I had seen her was that fateful day, at the First Beach, where I had told her the story of the Cold Ones.

I felt like something had punched me in the stomach. I had been the one to give her the first clue about the identity of her beloved parasite. That hurt, and I stopped walking.

I hadn't even realized I had been walking, but sure enough, I was heading back to La Push. Now that I listened, I heard the annoyed howls of my packmates from the forest, who were unsure why I was walking and not Phasing.

Sighing, I ran into the forest, removing the shorts I was wearing, that went just past my knees. I was barefoot, having Phased and run over right away when I heard that Bella had gone missing. I tied the pants in a string that I attached to my ankle, and let myself Phase.

_What the hell, Jake, where have you..?! _Sam's voice said angrily before trailing off, as the events of the last hour flooded through his mind. The entire pack was here, I realized. Sam, Paul and Embry. All were silent as I relived the events, making them live it for the first time.

After everything was out in the open, there was a brief silence. No one was really thinking anything, but they were all feeling the same thing. It could easily be described as: _…!!_

_Well, damn dude. Congrats! Bella Swan is pretty hot!_, Paul thought, making me growl lightly. Fucking Paul, always making stupid comments at all the wrong times.

_What? I'm just saying. If I Imprinted on _that_, I wouldn't be heading back to La Push, all _mopey_, that's for sure_, he said, resulting in a louder, more forceful growl from me.

_That's enough Paul. Leave him alone, _Sam ordered. I felt a rush of respect for our Alpha. He was the only one out of the four of us to have ever Imprinted, and he understood what I was going through now.

Paul mentally shrugged, and Phased back to human form. Embry sent me feelings of comfort, and then did the same. Only Sam and I were left, and he was quiet.

_I'll cover your shift tonight, _he told me, speaking of the patrolling I was supposed to do.

_Thanks. _

. ... .

**Well, that's that. I've got the next chapter completed and am working on chapter four, so maybe if I get decent reviews and feedback, I'll post the next chapter later today. If not, it will be posted in a day or two, after I go through and edit it a bit.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **

**You can thank goldengirl62 for this chapter being posted tonight. She left two very good reviews, and they made me happy to read. See what happens when you make this author happy? Two chapters in one day! And the fourth one's written.**

**That being said, continue on. Does anyone read these, anyway?**

. ... .

**Bella's POV**

Days pasted like grains of sand in an hourglass. If you looked at the individual grains, the flow was fast. But if you stepped back and saw the whole hourglass, you realized how slow they were actually going.

That was my life. The days slipped in and out, repeated and continued, but when I took a step back, I realized how many days I had left without Edward. I had only just turned eighteen. Maybe I should start smoking, to cut out some time. What was it that they said? Every cigarette was seven minutes off your life?

Or maybe I should take up drinking, and kill my liver and brain cells. Maybe then I could forget. Or maybe I should go straight for the hard stuff, like meth, and be out of this misery real quick. But then I realized that even if I picked up every bad habit that existed, it would still be too long. And for however long I existed, I'd be in misery. So really, what was the difference between more misery or less misery?

Misery is an interesting thing. It wipes out the days, and time in general. How long had it been since Edward left? I wouldn't know. It could have been a week, it could have been a year. When you're entire existence is made up of misery, time loses all meaning and importance.

. … .

Edward had taken everything that left any indication of his existence. Everything. I realized this one day, when I went to look at the scrap book my mother had given me. His pictures were gone, and I felt something, for the first time in a long time. Anger.

Who did he think he was, to take my things? They were _mine_. He always did things like that, I realized. Always did things because 'it was best'. How did he know what was best? If it had come from Alice, I guess I could see it. But Edward couldn't see the freaking future. He couldn't even read my mind. So who was _he_ to make decisions for _me_?

I threw the scrap book across the room, where it landed noisily. I _hated_ him. Hated him with a fury I had never possessed before. I didn't know how one could love a person so much and hate a person so much at the same time, but I did. And it felt good.

Holding onto the spark of feeling, I decided to do something he would have _hated_. He always complimented me on my dark, long hair. Smiling with a sick, twisted satisfaction, I ran into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror. I reached around, and pulled my hair over my shoulder to one side, grabbing it with my fist. The nearest pair of scissors were right in front of me, and I grabbed them, chopping off a good six inches with sickening glee. I kept chopping, after that, not so much at the length, but at the style itself. Choppy layers were in this season, weren't they? I didn't know and I didn't really care, simply taking satisfaction in the act of destroying something he had loved.

When I was done, I looked around me, seeing the havoc I had shed. Dark brown hair was everywhere, in chunks and in small piles. I looked at myself in the mirror, sticking my chin out stubbornly, as tears threatened to come. The change was drastic, and Edward would have hated it. If he cared in the first place, which he didn't. And that made this whole thing pointless.

Everything was pointless.

. … .

Jacob came to visit me. I was laying in bed, as usual, staring at the ceiling. I think I was still wearing the clothes that I was wearing when Edward left. I don't remember changing. That made me wrinkle my nose in disgust. Did I smell? How long had it been, anyways?

"Hey, Bella," he said, his voice quiet. He sounded as if he were talking to someone on their deathbed. Was I dying? I felt like I was. I was being ripped apart and shredded and torn and broke. The absence of Edward in my life ruined me, and I was feeling it more and more the longer he was away.

"Hey, Jacob," I said quietly, realizing that I had to answer him. I forced myself to look at him and concentrate, something that was difficult to do as of late, and noticed how much he had grown. He was taller, much taller, and he had suddenly…gotten muscles? He'd always been in shape, but this was different. It wasn't the Hulk, but it wasn't a normal build either. Still, he was beautiful, as he always had been. Then I noticed something that surprised me.

"You cut your hair!" I cried, shocked. Jacob had had long, beautiful black hair that he had always had back in a ponytail, and now it was gone. I found myself oddly saddened by its shortness.

"So did you."

I frowned at that, and looked away from him. Of course, he didn't know why I did it, but I supposed that it was pretty drastic, pretty noticeable.

"Yeah, it looks pretty terrible, doesn't it?" I asked, running a hand through the shorter layers, sure that it was sticking up at all different funny places. I don't know why it bothered me that I looked so disgusting in front of Jacob, but it did.

"No, you look beautiful. You always do, even with a questionable haircut," he said, a slight smile in his voice, and I looked over to confirm it. When I saw the honesty in his smile and eyes, I found myself smiling too, just a little.

"Thanks, Jacob." I looked at him for a moment longer, and then out my window, a habit I had started, waiting for Edward to climb through. The sun was out, so I knew Edward wouldn't come today. "What are you up to, coming to visit me in this musty place? The sun is shining, you should be out enjoying it," I said quietly, stopping the sigh that threatened to escape my lips.

"I wanted to check on you. Charlie's worried about you," he said, and I felt a stab of guilt. Poor Charlie. He made the meals now. I heard him clattering down there in the kitchen, trying to make something decent. And then he would come up and tell me dinner was done, but I couldn't bring myself to eat. Charlie ate dinner alone, now. When he had walked by the bathroom seconds after I finished cutting my hair, sadness had flashed his features. He had loved my hair, too. "and I am, too," Jacob finished, and I was startled out of my thoughts.

I looked at him, and frowned. He seemed to have gotten so much older in such a short time. How old was he now? He looked about twenty. I had been neglecting my friend, I realized. A good friend, who worried about me enough to scour the forests for me in the freezing rain. I sighed, and it escaped my through my lips, which were no longer capable of holding it back.

"I'm sorry," I said simply, because I was. In the brief moments of awareness I had, I realized that I was hurting the people I cared about with my behavior. I was hurting Charlie, my mom, Jacob, and my friends from school. But then the misery would pull me under again, and thoughts of them would leave me and in place, thoughts of Edward would haunt. He haunted me all the time, in my waking moments and in my dreams.

"It's been a week, Bella," Only a week? I thought to myself, "and you haven't eaten, or showered, or done anything to take care of yourself," Jacob said, his voice soft and pleading. "You have to pull it together, just a little bit. You need to live, just a little bit."

What was there to live for, though? This sorry passage of days was nothing. I was nothing. Or, at least half of nothing. Edward took the other half with him, and so he held the key to me becoming something again. How could a person live with only half of themself there?

Jacob caught my eyes, and it drew me from my thoughts. The look in his eyes was fierce, and complete. I had looked like that, once, I realized. Before I died. There was an underlying of something else in Jacob's eyes, too, but I couldn't place it.

"Bella," he said, and I forced myself to concentrate. This was the longest interaction I had had with another living being in what seemed like a long time, and it was difficult to not retreat back into my own thoughts. "I need you to take care of yourself. For me, as your friend. I need you to. I can't stand to see you wallowing in your misery."

His words hit a spot that hadn't been hit in a long time. His words made me feel ashamed. I felt heat rise in my cheeks, and I stuck my chin out a bit. "I am not wallowing in my misery, Jacob Black." I said it with a cold tone, defensive.

"Oh yeah? What do you call it, then?" he shot back, and I wondered when he got so sarcastic. It bit, and I didn't like it.

"You know what, Jacob? Thanks for visiting, but I think you should go. I wouldn't want to make you stink, you sitting with me in all my misery. It's catching, you know, and it's got a particular odor. Goodbye," I bit out, throwing my words at him with the same satisfaction that I had when I chopped all my hair off.

Jacob looked hurt for only a split second, but then stood up.

"Bye, Bella."

"Yeah. Let yourself out."

He exited my room, then, and I listened to him walk down the hallway, and then down the stairs. Charlie wasn't home, so I did hear him talk again. He opened the door, and shut it with a little force. So I had made him angry, too. Good. Jerk.

Who did he thing he was, anyway? I was not wallowing in anything. He didn't know what I was feeling, how dare he assume things about me.

I continued on an angry rampage in my mind, until I realized that Jacob hadn't been assuming anything. He was simply stating what he saw. I _was_ wallowing, and I hated that he was right.

Sighing, I pulled the covers off of me, and went over to my dresser. I pulled out some underwear, not bothering with a bra, some different pajama pants, and a cami, and headed to the bathroom at the top of the stairs. I pulled a towel out of the cabinet, and then pulled the shower curtain back to start the water for my much needed shower.

. … .

**Well, there you have it. Some Bella/Jake interaction. Next chapter features Jacob exclusively. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Jacob's POV**

. … .

The week that passed was a nightmare for Bella, and in turn it was a nightmare for me. Everything she felt, I felt. We were inexplicably connected. Or rather, I was connected to her. For some reason, the bond didn't seem as strong to her as it was to me.

When I talked to Sam about it, his theory that her being in love with the bloodsucker had something to do with the blockage on her end. I was angry, then. The stupid bloodsucker ruined everything for me. Here I was, knowing that my soul mate was literally right down the highway, but there was no way to connect with her because of him. He left her, broke her spirit, and she was still hopelessly in love with him. I knew she was, because I felt that, too, like a knife in my chest.

It was torture, to feel your Imprint so in love with someone that isn't you.

. … .

"Look, Jake, I know it sucks, but she'll come around eventually." Embry punched my shoulder, lightly, trying to cheer me up.

I sighed, and shook my head. "You don't know that, man. You can't feel what she's feeling, like I can. She's in so much pain, and I want to fix it, but the only way to fix that is to drag the bloodsucker back here, and I _definitely _can't do that." The very idea of the bloodsucker coming back now, after I had discovered this connection with Bella, and having her go straight back into his arms was almost too much to bear. What was worse was that I knew she would do it, too. If the parasite came back right now, right this very minute, she would be his again.

The thought made me shake, my inner wolf threatening to explode out of me to go find the bloodsucker and eliminate the competition. Embry stepped back a little, but I held my cool. It was weird, how much better I was at this than the rest of them. Paul, who had Transformed the first time months ago, still Phased just about every time he got even the littlest bit upset. Embry was the same. Sam said he had been, too. But for me, it was different, and it unnerved me.

"Why don't you tell her, then? Tell her about your Imprint," Embry suggested, and I threw him a withering look.

"Oh, yeah, that'll work. 'Hey, Bella, I know you're miserable and wish that a car would jump through your window and kill you, and I know that your bloodsucking parasite boyfriend left you, but I just want to tell you that I'm a werewolf, and I randomly erupt in fur and claws and shit when I'm mad. Oh, yeah, and us werewolves do this Imprinting thing, and basically it tells us who's our soul mate. And guess what? Ha-ha, you're it!'" I glared at him, and he laughed at my sarcastic scenario of telling Bella. "It's not funny, man."

Embry stopped laughing, with some difficulty. I thought of punching him, just once, straight in the mouth. But luckily for him, he stopped laughing quicker than I could make up my mind.

"Sorry, man. It sucks, but you're right. What can you do?" he shrugged, and then looked at me, "Well, you don't have to stay away from her. You guys are friends, aren't you? You found her in the forest. You've every right to go and check in on her. And I know how much it hurts for you to be away from her."

It was true. Being away from Bella for so long was excruciating. Every part of me wanted to be with her. I wanted to see her, smell her, and feel her. I hadn't seen her since I put her in bed a week ago, and every part of me hurt. Not just mentally, but physically, too. My body ached, like I had the flu. My head hurt, and I couldn't sleep right. Not only had I not seen my Imprint, but my Imprint was hurting. That made it ten times worse.

"Yeah, you're right," I decided. I would go see her. I _needed_ to go see her. It was selfish, since she probably didn't want to see anyone right now, but I was going, anyway. "I'll catch you later, okay?"

"Yeah, okay. I'm not covering your patrol again, though, so don't ask."

"Cool," I said, and then jogged quickly to my house. The day was nice, sunny and warm. I wished Bella were here with me. I could take her to the beach. Maybe I could get her to swim, because the water was warm, but I doubted it. She didn't seem like much of a swimmer.

I entered the house, and my dad looked over at me.

"Hey, son," he said, as he rolled his wheelchair into the kitchen. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"Hey, dad. I'm going to go see Bella," I told him, and he nodded, smiling slightly. He knew that I had Imprinted, and he was happy about it. I didn't see what was so great about Imprinting, really. Sure, it worked out for Sam and Emily, but in my case, my Imprint was in love with a bloodsucking parasite.

Kinda sucked, in my opinion.

"Alright. If Charlie's there, tell him I'm coming over for next week's game. If not, we'll just show up."

I laughed slightly. "Okay, dad," I said, as I headed towards my room. It was small; I barely fit anymore. I had grown to about six foot three, and my bed was too short and my room seemed to have shrunk.

Still, there was nothing I could do about it, and I walked over to my dresser, pushing the thought out of my head. I pulled out a t-shirt, but didn't bother with shoes. Shoes were too expensive if I accidentally Phased in them. I grabbed my gym bag, and then walked out of my house, into the forest.

I stripped naked, and then put my clothes into the gym bag, tying it around my ankle. Then, I let myself Phase. My body always wanted to Phase. It was like a constant nag, but I mostly ignored it. When I did Phase, though, it was an absolute freedom. It didn't hurt so badly, either. A wolf's emotions were simpler than a human's; easier to deal with.

I ran along the forest's edge, until I got to Bella's. There, I Phased again and redressed.

As I was walking up to her door, Charlie came out. He was locking the door behind him, when I cleared my throat.

"Hey, Chief Swan. I just came by to visit Bella."

Charlie looked over his shoulder when he saw me, relief on his face.

"Hey, Jake. I'm happy to see you. Bells isn't looking too good," he said. He had to look up at me, now that I had had my growth spurt. "What are they feeding you on that reservation, anyway?" he asked, probably before he could think against it.

I let a grin cross my features.

"You know, anabolic steroids," I joked, and he laughed.

"I don't think Bells wants company right now," he told me.

"I know."

He paused, then, and smiled sadly. "Well, then, go on in. I have to go into the station," he said, and I nodded. I looked closely at him, and he seemed to have aged. Gray hairs were appearing at his temples, and in his mustache.

"Oh, yeah, my dad told me to tell you that we're coming over for the game next week," I told him. He nodded, and headed towards his car, as I let myself into the house.

The smell of leech was barely detectable in the living room anymore, or anywhere else in the house. The thought brightened my mood considerably, as I climbed the stairs to Bella's room. I knocked on the door softly.

"Hey, Bella. It's me, Jake," I said quietly, wondering if she was sleeping.

"Jacob?" Bella asked, confused. Her voice pained me. She sounded dead. "Come on in."

I opened her door, and the smell of leech was still there, repulsive as ever. It was lighter, now, though, but I wondered how often he had had to be in here to make his smell that potent. The thought made me mad, and I pushed it away.

My eyes landed on Bella, and I wasn't surprised to say that she looked terrible. She looked like she had lost weight, and she hadn't showered in several days. A faint smell of body odor was coming from her, but I did my best to hide that I could smell her. It wasn't too bad, though. She had an underlying floral scent, like lilacs and freesias, and that helped a bit.

Her hair was oily, and her skin was too. There were bags under her eyes, and her face was gaunt. She had also cut her hair quite…differently. It was shorter now, the longest part barely reaching her shoulders, with many choppy, uneven layers.

Still, despite all this, she was beautiful to me. The most beautiful woman alive. If I could, I'd would have taken her into my arms right then, and never let go. She shone like the sun, her pale white skin glowing and her chocolate eyes burning. I'd give anything to have her pain taken away.

"Hey, Bella," I said, quietly. She looked tired, and I didn't want to talk too loudly.

I felt her become embarrassed. She was embarrassed of looking so 'disgusting' around me. I knew, because of our bond. It was so much stronger when I was close to her, it was almost overwhelming.

"Hey, Jacob," she said, quietly, after a few minutes of silence. I notice her focus then, and she examined me. She hadn't really seen me since my Transformation, and I saw her appraising me. I didn't know if it was my imagination or not, but along with her surprise, I thought I saw a hint of appreciation in her eyes. Seeing it there made my heart soar.

"You cut your hair!" she cried out, surprising me. I had cut my hair since I last saw her, hadn't I? I felt oddly pleased that she seemed so distressed. I wouldn't have cut it, but it was too hot to keep it long. I ran about one-oh-eight, one-oh-nine in temperature, and to have long hair was an unnecessary hassle. I couldn't tell her that, though, so I shrugged.

"So did you."

She frowned, and looked away. I sensed embarrassment from her again, and marveled at the fact that I could embarrass her.

"Yeah, it looks pretty terrible, doesn't it?" she ran a hand through it, as if trying to fix it, but only ended up messing it up more.

Was she serious? I could never think she looked terrible, ever. She was beautiful. I could stop myself from telling her. Besides, I figured she needed it. "No, you look beautiful. You always do, even with a questionable haircut." I smiled slightly, glad I had been somewhat honest with her.

She looked back at me, and smiled a little, too. "Thanks, Jacob," she said, quietly. She looked away, and out her window. "What are you up to, coming to visit me in this musty place? The sun is shining, you should be out enjoying it."

She was crazy if she thought that I would enjoy the sun more than I would enjoy talking to her. Absolutely nuts. She _was_ my sun, and if only I could make her happy, I could have sunshine every day. I frowned slightly at that thought. This Imprinting stuff was making me think like a guy in a bad romantic comedy. Stupid.

"I wanted to check on you. Charlie's worried about you," I saw guilt flash in her eyes, "and so am I."

"I'm sorry."

I was quiet for a moment, and then spoke. "It's been a week, Bella. You have to pull it together, just a little bit. You have to live, just a little bit."

I looked at her, and saw as her eyes became sad. She looked down. She looked so sad, sitting there, that it broke my heart. The fierce need to protect her rose up in my chest, and I forced her to look me in the eye. I knew that my next words would hurt, but she needed to hear it.

"Bella, I need you to take care of yourself. For me, as your friend," it hurt to call myself her friend, when I wanted to be so much more, but I continued. "I need you to. I can't stand to see you wallowing in your misery." There, I said it. I prepared myself for the lash out, and wasn't disappointed.

She looked at me, anger sparkling in her eyes. It was so much better than nothingness and sadness. "I am not wallowing in my misery, Jacob Black," she said, her tone cold and defensive.

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah? What do you call it, then?" the words came from my mouth rather harshly, because her being angry was better than feeling nothing.

She looked at me, fury in her eyes. "You know what, Jacob? Thanks for visiting, but I think you should go. I wouldn't want to make you stink, you sitting with me in all my misery. It's catching, you know, and it's got a particular odor. Bye." She threw the words at me, and even though I had wanted them, they still stung. I wanted to tell her that the only thing that was making me stink was the smell of parasite. I didn't, though, and I stood up.

"Bye, Bella," I said to her.

"Yeah. Let yourself out."

I did as she asked, pain in my chest. It hurt to have her mad at me. It really did. But I felt better than I had in a week, just by seeing her. I hadn't even noticed a steady pressure building up inside of me until I had seen her, but once I did it disappeared like a ton of bricks.

I walked down the hall, and then out of the door. I paused though, something that my instincts told me to do. I leant back against her front door, and listened as she scampered around, and then as the water started in the bathroom. She was taking a shower. I smiled, happy that I had come to see her. I walked to the forest's edge, and stripped down, before Phasing, happier than I had been in a week.

. ... .

**Review, please please pretty please.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Sorry it took me a few days to post this chapter. Real life is bothering me from my fanfiction. Thank you to everyone that reviewed! You guys are amazing, and keep it up! I already have the next chapter written, and if you guys give me enough feedback, I'd love to post it tomorrow. :)**

**This chapter is kind of frightening, but I needed to do something, and I felt like it was something my Bella might do. That being said, I hope you don't hate it too much. Please enjoy, and don't forget to press the little button that says 'Review'.**

. ... .

**Bella's POV**

. … .

After Jacob came to visit me the first time, I told Charlie I didn't want to see him again.

"But Bells," he protested, "he was just worried about you." He defended Jacob relentlessly, and it annoyed me.

"Yeah, and making a person who feels like crap feel like more crap is exactly the way to do it. No, Charlie, I don't want to see him again."

"But, Bells…"

"Charlie! Please! I don't want him in the house. I don't!" I felt like a little ten year old, throwing a temper tantrum like this, but there was no other option. I couldn't see Jacob again.

Charlie sighed, looking at me. "Alright, I won't let him in. But if I'm not here, you have to turn him away. Don't leave him standing out there."

I nodded, figuring that that was the best I would be able to get from him. I left the room without another word; I tried as hard as I could to keep from speaking too much these days. I hurried up to my room, thundering up the stairs, and found solstice in the four walls of my room.

My bed was stripped, temporarily. After two weeks without my sheets being washed, they had lost Edward's scent, and were actually starting to smell bad. I figured it was time to wash them, and it broke my heart.

I sat down on the edge of my bed but soon threw my legs up onto it, and curled up into a ball. I crossed my arms over my chest. I found myself in this position a lot, since Edward left. It was like I was constantly hugging myself so I wouldn't fall apart.

Because that's how I felt. Fallen apart, and broken. Like there was a giant hole in my chest that wouldn't stop bleeding.

I laid like that for a while, but I hadn't realized how long until Charlie came into my room with an armful of purple blankets. It felt like only a few minutes since I put my blankets into the wash, and here came Charlie, with them perfectly dry and warm. It didn't surprise me, though. Time had lost it's hold on me. It was difficult to do anything these days.

I took the blankets from Charlie, muttering a small thank you, before he exited the room without a word. I felt a pang of guilt, but I pushed it down. I hurt too much to think of the pain I was causing Charlie.

I did think of Jacob, though, as I made my bed. When he had come to see me, I had felt almost human. For the first time in a long time I had felt something other than guilt, misery, and anger. I had worried about my hair(though now that he was gone, I could not care less), and my appearance in general. And when he had told me that I was wallowing in my misery, he made me feel very, very ashamed.

It was scary. I was so used to the numbness and the anger that I didn't want Jacob to come back and ruin it. He made me feel. I had no want or need to feel unless Edward came back to me. And he wasn't going to do that, so Jacob needed to stay away. As far away from myself and my mind as possible.

With that thought in mind, I crawled into bed. As much as I tried, Jacob was in my thoughts more than Edward that night. I fell asleep thinking about the care in his voice and the pain that had flashed in his eyes when I had hurt him.

. … .

The hourglass continued. After the end of that first week, when Jacob had visited me, I didn't miss any school.

My grades, which had plummeted during my week long absence, slowly began to raise and soon were just about as perfect as I could get them. I was quickly on my way to graduating my senior year with high marks, but I didn't take any pride in that.

Edward would have cared. He would have been proud of my success. At least, he would have been when he was still in love with me. Or was he ever in love with me? I had always felt like I loved Edward more than he could ever possibly love me, but how did I know that he loved me to begin with? It sure didn't seem too difficult for him to leave me. But it didn't matter, really. I didn't care if he ever loved me, because I was so, so in love with him. And without Edward, nothing mattered.

. … .

I couldn't sleep. It evaded me like a peace of cotton floating in the air that you wanted to catch. Just when you thought that you had it, you opened your palm to discover that it wasn't there. And what sleep I did have, I didn't want. Dreams of Edward leaving me, over and over again, haunted my sleeping hours. I always woke up screaming.

I went to the doctors, because Charlie asked me to. He woke up every time I screamed, and I figured I owed it to him to try and figure out a way to make it stop.

The hospital had brought back memories, and it was difficult to walk through. I kept expecting Carlisle to come around the corner at any moment, and my heart broke every time it didn't happen.

The doctor prescribed me sleeping pills. I went to the pharmacy to pick them up afterwards, and shook the little orange bottle curiously. One hundred little tablets that would bring peaceful and much needed sleep to me, all to myself.

Wonderful.

. … .

**Jacob's POV**

. … .

Bella didn't want to see me. I knew it the second she knew it. It was sent to me via our connection, and the pain it brought was excruciating.

. … .

"Is it possible that our Imprint is incomplete? Maybe I wasn't supposed to Imprint on her," I brought it up to Sam one day. It had been two weeks since I had last seen Bella, and I was in so much pain that it hurt to breathe.

"That's not how Imprinting works, Jake. You know that. It's definite; absolute. Isabella Swan is your Imprint, and she's the only one you'll ever have. It was not mistaken, and the only thing making it incomplete is her grief. Give her time, Jake, and it will be worth your while."

I left soon after that, annoyed and frustrated.

What Sam had said made sense, but, _fuck_, he didn't realize how much it _hurt_ to be away from Bella. He had never been away from his Imprint longer than twelve hours since he met her. He didn't know how much it _hurt_ to feel her in love with someone else. How much it _hurt_ to feel her not want me around.

He didn't know anything about how I was feeling. Everything hurt, mentally and physically. I couldn't sleep right, and my body was so sore that I felt if someone were to hit me too hard, some part of me would break. It hurt to walk, and to be moving at all. Sam knew nothing about the mental hurt, either. How could he? He was in love with his Imprint, and his Imprint was in love with him. He ate dinner with his Imprint, laughed with his Imprint, cuddled with his Imprint, made love with his Imprint. He had Emily completely and totally, always had.

I wished my Bella could see me now. I wish she could see how much pain I was feeling for her, all because I loved her. Because that was what this was, I realized a while ago. The connection I had to her had opened her up to me, and I got to peak a little at what was inside her, inside my soul mate. And I found myself in love with her. If only she knew.

But she didn't. How could I tell her? How would she understand? So here I was, stuck in La Push, more depressed than I had ever been. I had Bella's heartbreak inside of me, and it was accompanied by my own.

. … .

I had fallen asleep. A much needed sleep, one free of Bella's nightmares and worries.

It felt like I had only been sleeping for mere moments before I heard the landline ring. Groaning, I got out of my too small bed, and made my way out into the kitchen to get it. I looked at the time on the microwave as I passed it, and found that it was much later than I had realized. The green numbers read 3:19 A.M., and I wondered who the hell would be calling so late.

As I reached for the phone, a wave of dread washed over me, and I knew who it would be before I answered it. Still, I reached for it, and brought it to my ear.

"Hello?" I said, into the phone.

"Jacob…" It was Bella. The word was fuzzy, and she sounded like she was drunk.

"Bella! What's wrong? Are you okay?" I asked, fear hitting my core as I began to strip of my clothes.

"It's these sleeping pills…I think I…think I took too many…" She sounded disoriented, and my heart hammered frantically. Sleeping pills? Who had given my Bella sleeping pills, in her depressed state? Who the hell?

"I'll be right there, Bella. I'm calling an ambulance for you. I'll be right there. Stay awake for me, okay sweetheart?" I said, hating the fact I didn't have a cell phone.

"Okay Jacob…hurry, I feel dizzy."

"Okay, sweetheart. I'll be right there. Please stay awake."

With that, I quickly hung up my phone and called 9-1-1. After seeing that an ambulance was on its way, I immediately tied a bag of clothes around my ankle, and ran outside to Shift.

I ran faster than I probably ever had in my life. I heard the voices of my packmates in my mind, asking me what was going on, but I blocked them out. I'd deal with them later. Bella was in danger, and I needed to be there _right now._

I ran into the forest right behind her house, and Shifted. Pulling my clothes on with shaking hands, I ran to Charlie's house. The front door wasn't locked, because no one locked their doors in Forks. I ran through the living room and up the stairs, directly to Bella's room. The door was opened a slight bit, and I went inside. There, Bella was laying on the floor, having had to crawl to get the phone that was on her desk.

I ran to her, and knelt down next to her. First I checked for a pulse and found one easily enough, but it was slow. I rolled her onto her side, and saw her bleary eyes looking at me. She was there, but barely. I could tell she was floating on the edge of unconsciousness.

"I stayed awake for you…" she muttered, though she sounded slightly delirious.

"I know, Bella. Thank you."

"Can I sleep now?"

"No, Bella. Stay awake just a little bit longer. For me, please," I told her, and the love I felt for her swelled inside me then, threatening to balloon up and force the words out of my throat. I swallowed, though, and forced it down. As we waited for the ambulance, I knew that she hadn't been trying to overdose. I felt it, from her. She had simply wanted sleep, something that had been evading her for so long. She had took too many pills out of frustration and desperation, I realized with a flood of relief, not with the intent to die.

The connection we had was suddenly brighter, and I felt like she could see inside me too, for a moment. Her dazed eyes widened, and I suddenly felt closer to her than I ever had. It was an amazing feeling, and it shot me up so high that if it wasn't for the frightening situation my Bella was in, I would have laughed like a little kid.

I willed her to stay awake, and through the suddenly brighter connection, she did. As the ambulance pulled into the driveway and the EMT workers came into the house, yelling for Bella, I felt something inside of her change, just a little bit.

"She's in here," I called, and there was a sudden thundering of footsteps up the stairs, and I was pushed aside, as they took care of her. I watched as they loaded my nearly unconscious Bella onto a flat surface, and leave the room, down the stairs, and out into the ambulance. Charlie, who had woken up from all the commotion, rode groggily with her in the ambulance, to the hospital.

I stood in her room for a moment, the feeling of awe overwhelming me. But then my gut-wrenching worry for Bella took over, and I made my way out of the house, intent on beating the ambulance to the hospital, too.

**A break through? We'll see. I hope you enjoyed, and I hope you review. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: **

**So, you guys are wonderful with your reviews! Abosolutely amazing.**

**Sorry this chapter took so long to post. There was some issues with being able to get online, and then the holidays, and just blah. I've been trying very hard not to fall back into my bad-updating habits, and I consider myself to be succeeding. With my other story, Secrets, there was a time I didn't update for almost four months. Eek!**

**Consider this my Christmas present. Happy Holidays! :D Don't forget to review!**

. … .

**Bella's POV**

I had just wanted to sleep. I hadn't slept in so long. All I wanted was to fall into a restful state, unhaunted by his face and his memories.

I had even gone to the doctor. Got sleeping pills. They didn't work. Here I was, popping them like candy, and I wasn't the least bit tired.

It didn't occur to me that I was in danger until I tried to stand. All the water I had drank to swallow the pills had gotten to me. I stood to go to the bathroom, and the world lurched sideways. I made my way to the bathroom, world spinning, and sat down on the toilet heavily.

I knew then, once I finished, that I was in serious trouble. I couldn't lift myself off the toilet. My tongue was fuzzy, and my thoughts were coming as if they had to swim through jello to get to me.

I fell off the toilet, my legs too weak to support me, and rolled over onto my back. More out of habit and years of doing so than anything else, I pulled my underwear and pants back up.

After that, I just laid there. I was peaceful, and my heart beat slowly. It was nice; more relaxed than I had been in weeks. My eyes were heavy, but just as I started contemplating sleep, Edward's face fluttered through my mind, beautiful and cold, and more vivid than I could remember in my normal state. While I could sort of ignore him while I hovered on the edge of unconsciousness, I knew that if I allowed myself to float under, he would be the star of my dreams.

I opened my eyes, and realized, again, that I couldn't stand. The thought finally floated through the haze, as I had realized this quite a few times in the last few minutes, and in a moment, I registered it in my mind. _I couldn't stand. _Panic shot through me, like a light in a fog. I couldn't move, but I _needed _to.

I rolled over onto my stomach, and forced myself to crawl. It was a weird, disconnected feeling. I knew that my arms were moving, I told them to move, but I couldn't feel them move. The only way I knew they were was because of my blurry vision, which registered the color changes.

I crawled down the hall, and managed to get into my room. I knew I needed help. I needed to call Jacob. The thought circled over and over through my head, the only clear thing that I was able to focus on as I neared my desk. The phone was on top of my desk, and I pulled on the cord to get it down, and it crashed to the floor. The sound registered in my ears, though muted, and I hoped that I didn't wake Charlie.

I felt around, and grabbed the receiver. I raised it a bit, and the numbers blurred in my vision. Jacob. What was Jacob's number? As I stared at the phone, one number suddenly became clear, and I pushed it. This happened again, until finally the 'talk' button came into focus, and I pushed it, before holding the phone to my ear.

I was so tired. The phone was ringing, and the steady sound in my ear was lulling me to sleep. I almost gave into it, when I heard a smooth, but slightly husky voice in my ear.

"Hello?"

Relief flooded through me. I knew I was okay, now, because I was talking to Jacob. I didn't understand why, but that was what I thought. "Jacob…"

"Bella! What's wrong? Are you okay?" his voice filtered through, and I noticed a slight bit of edge to it. It made me sad. I didn't want him to be mad at me…

"It's these sleeping pills…I think I…I think I took too many…" I said, having difficulty stringing the words together. I wanted to go to sleep so badly, but Jacob started to talk again.

"I'll be right there, Bella. I'm calling an ambulance for you. I'll be right there. Stay awake for me, okay, sweetheart?"

I felt myself smile. He called me sweetheart. Jacob was so funny. "Okay Jacob..." I said, but then abruptly stopped smiling, though, as the world began to spin at a breakneck speed, "hurry, I feel dizzy."

"Okay, sweetheart. I'll be right there. Please stay awake."

After that, the phone disconnected and some lady with a cool voice told me something about two minutes, blah blah blah seconds, and I tossed the phone away from me. Where was Jacob, and why did he hang up on me?

I laid my head down on my arm, and closed my eyes, to stop the spinning. So tired. My fingertips felt warm, and I smiled at the feeling. When I raised a hand up to my face, I pulled my hand back as quickly as possible. They were so cold, compared to my face. Was I sick?

I rolled over onto my stomach, then. It was more comfortable. My floor was hard. Why was I on my floor? Seemed like a silly place to be, when I could be very well sleeping on my bed.

I didn't know how long passed, but I felt someone touch me. I was rolled over, and was looking at the beautiful face of Jacob Black. I missed his hair, though. Why did he cut his hair?

Then, I remembered. He asked me to stay awake, for some reason. I remembered. That's why I was on my floor. If I went to my bed, I would have fallen asleep and that would have made Jacob sad.

"I stayed awake for you…" I told him, proving that I remembered.

"I know, Bella. Thank you."

"Can I sleep now?" I asked, hopefully. As much as I didn't want to make Jacob sad, I was really tired.

"No, Bella. Stay awake just a little bit longer. For me," he said, and I wanted to cry. I was so _tired._ Why wouldn't he let me sleep? I raised my eyes to meet his, and the world suddenly stopped spinning. It was similar to earlier, when the panic became a light and cut through the fog. Only this time, Jacob was the beacon.

I felt myself inhale, as feeling filtered through my body, and warmth radiated though me. I could tell that it was from Jacob, and in that moment, I felt as though I could look through his eyes and into his soul.

He was scared. I could tell that his heart was hammering in his chest. I felt a wave of guilt wash through me, because I knew that I was the cause of his fear. How stupid was I to take so many pills? I had wanted sleep, yes, but my total disregard to my body and to the people around me was completely stupid and selfish.

I watched as Jacob's mouth moved, and I realized that I couldn't hear anything. I blinked, and I felt myself being lifted. As soon as Jacob was out of sight, I finally let myself fall into the sleep that had been trying to seduce me for what seemed to be hours.

. … .

I woke up some time later, and I was in a hospital. I was laying in a hospital bed, and my throat hurt badly. I wanted water, but I couldn't speak. The lining of my throat was on fire.

"Drink this, Bella." A glass of water was shoved in front of me, and I jumped. It was Charlie, and his faced was etched with sadness. He looked twenty years older than he really was.

I took the glass with shaking hands, and raised it to my mouth. It tasted funny, going down, but I didn't say anything. It tasted stale, as if it had been out for a while. I wondered how long I had been here.

"Why did you do it, Bella?" Charlie asked me, with a sigh. I was silent, as I tried to remember the events that led me to here.

"I just wanted to sleep. The pills weren't working," I told him, "so I just kept taking more. And before I knew it, I had taken too many."

"Took too many?! Bella, there was a hundred tablets, and you took thirty of them! You could have died!"

I cringed, and took another sip of water. My throat was on fire, and the water barely soothed it.

"That wasn't my intent. I'm sorry."

Charlie looked at me, and I could feel his anger and hurt. He felt betrayed, and the guilt sat in my chest, as he stood up.

"You better be. Thank God you had the sense to call Jake, though I don't know why you called him instead of 9-1-1 directly," he looked at me, and softened, "Never do that again, Bells. You're not allowed to die before I do."

A lump of pain sat in my throat, and I nodded. I looked at Charlie, who had tears in his eyes, and then looked away.

"Speaking of Jake, I know you told me that you didn't want to see him, but I think, under the circumstances, you could spare him a few minutes. He hasn't left the waiting room in almost two days."

I felt my heart tug in the direction I knew the waiting room was. Jacob. I felt oddly relaxed at the thought that he was here, waiting for me.

"I'd really like to see him."

Charlie nodded, pleased, and walked out of the room. I exhaled and closed my eyes, as it felt like I had been holding my breath the whole time, and sank back into my pillows. I felt like hitting myself, but I couldn't because my hand had an IV in it. I cringed, looking away, as I felt someone walk into the room.

"Bella…" the voice was tired, and I opened my eyes, smiling lightly.

"Jacob," I said, a hint of happiness reaching me through the guilt.

"How are you feeling?" he asked me, worriedly.

"Like crap. But it's better than being dead," I said, attempting at humor, but Jacob's face fell, and I immediately felt bad.

"Yeah, you're right.." he said, looking down at the ground, and shuffling his feet.

"Thank you for coming to get me. I don't know why I called you, but I'm glad I did," I told him, and he looked at me, hopefully. "I didn't mean to do it. It was an accident. I was stupid," I told him, and took another sip of water to quench the fire that started in my throat again.

"You were stupid. But I know it was an accident. It's okay. I'm glad you called me."

He was being honest, I knew that somehow, and I smiled. "Thanks Jacob," I said, and he smiled, too.

"Does your throat hurt?" he asked, though I got the feeling that he already knew.

"Like hell."

"They had to stick a tube down your esophagus. They pumped your stomach. That's why," he said, and I felt a shiver go down my spine. The image was gross.

"Well, that sucks."

"Yeah, it did."

I looked at him, and frowned. He looked at me, and I saw in his eyes that he cared about me, very much. He was a good guy, and a good friend. I wanted to spend more time with him, once I was done with whatever punishment Charlie gave me.

"Hey, when I'm done being on lock and key, do you think I could come up to La Push sometime?" I asked, hopefully, and he broke out into the biggest grin I had seen him give yet.

"I'd like that," he told me, sincerely.

"I'd like that, too," I said, my heart fluttering hopefully.

. ... .

**Author's Note:**

**I hope you liked the chapter! No, Bella's not instantly in love with him, and she's not going to get better just like that. But it's something! Next chapter, I'm thinking, will be mostly fluffy with a tad bit of angst. But, admit it, you love the angst. Don't lie.**

**Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: **

**So, it was roughly mid-October in this story, when Bella went into the hospital. Her birthday is September 13th****, and Edward leaves approximately September 16****th****. Then there was a week that Bella was in bed, before Jacob came. Jacob came on the 23****rd**** of September, upsetting Bella and getting her to at least take care of herself. Then some time was lost in Bella not wanting to see Jacob. I think it was approximately October 13****th**** when Bella got the sleeping pills, and she overdosed that night. I think she would be in the hospital all of the 14****th****, 15****th****, and let out the 16****th****. So that's about where we are in the story. Just wanted to clear that up for you all who are trying to follow the timeline with the book.**

**You all are amazing. There are some authors out there who complain about not getting enough reviews, but I am not one of them! You all rock! Though I might not respond to all of them, I read each and every review and I appreciate them all. Thank you so much, and keep it up. :D**

**(That being said, I'd love to be one of your favorite authors…hehe. (: )**

**Oh, I forgot! Some of my reviewers have expressed their want for the chapters in this story to be longer. In response to that…I will try!**

**Now, onward to the story!**

. … .

**Bella's POV**

To say I was grounded would be putting it very, very lightly. To say I was given the rights a convicted felon would receive would be more accurate. Three meals a day, access to News on the television, and being able to have my email correspondence with Renee. That's about all that Charlie was allowing me to have.

I couldn't even drive myself to school. Charlie had taken away my keys.

"If I can't trust you with a bottle of pills, how do you expect me to trust you with a thousand pound killing machine on wheels?" he had asked me.

I couldn't exactly argue with that, and had handed my keys over. I knew I had broken Charlie's trust, and now it was up to me to gain it back.

Still, as I was driven to school in the police cruiser, I couldn't help but be annoyed with Charlie. It wasn't as if I had been _trying_ to kill myself. It had been an accident.

I thought about all this as I lay in bed. My purple comforter was pulled up to my chest, tucked under my arms, which were on top of the thick material. I looked over to my window, watching as the pouring rain pounded against the glass. There was a flash of light, and an almost immediate crack of thunder.

I remember, when I was little, there had been a thunderstorm. In Arizona, one can expect sunshine just about the entire year. But when it rains there, it pours. The rain doesn't play games in Arizona, like it does here. Though it rains just about every single day of the year in Forks, its normally a light, drizzly rain.

Not in Arizona. No, no. There's wind, hail, pouring rain, lighting, and lots of thunder when it rains in Arizona.

I remember this one particular storm with such vivid clarity because the thunder was so loud that the walls of the dingy little apartment Renee and I were staying in shook with the sound. I had never been so scared in my entire five-year-old life. I remember Renee waking up and finding me in the living room, shivering from fear on the couch.

It was then that she came up next to me, placed her hands on her hips, staring down at me with scolding eyes and pursed lips.

"What are you doing out here all scared for, Isabella?" she had asked me, and I remember not knowing why she was getting mad at me for being scared.

"The thunder is so loud, mom. What if the walls fall down?" I had asked, with a genuine fear that only a five-year-old could possess about such an impossible idea.

"Don't be silly, Bella. You shouldn't be scared of the thunderstorm. It's not trying to knock our walls down; it's trying to give us bedtime music. Listen closer, hun. The rain, the wind, the thunder, it's all the sky's effort to try to get us to sleep," she told me, and there was a flash of lightning. I whimpered.

"If it's trying to get us to sleep, why does it keep flashing light at us, mom?" I asked her, still feeling scared.

"Well, that's simple. In case people are enjoying its music too much to sleep, the sky's giving us a light show, too."

I smiled, as my mind fast forwarded back to the present. I wasn't scared of thunderstorms anymore. In fact, they were part of why I loved Forks.

But then I sighed, remembering why I had brought the memory of that thunderstorm into my mind. To forget what I had been thinking about before. I hadn't been _trying_ to kill myself…but I certainly wouldn't have been too upset if I had succeeded, if I wanted to assume that I'd have any form of awareness in death. I wouldn't have been upset at all, and that's why I took Charlie's punishment with as much grace as I could.

. … .

Days pasted slowly after I was let out of the hospital, that's for sure. I did as much as I did before I went into the hospital, but before I had been in a hazy, numb state. Now, everything seemed too bright, too loud, and much too slow. The hourglass in my mind seemed to be defective, now. Surely I couldn't be expected to live like this, now that I had my alertness back.

Because when I was numb, not doing anything was perfectly fine. Numbness meant that I felt, thought, saw, remembered nothing. But alertness was the opposite. I felt, I thought, I saw, and I remembered, which was the worst of all. Everything in this house had been touched by Edward, once. This house screamed his name, no matter how hard I tried to plug my ears. I was attempting to walk a fine line between remembering and forgetting, and it wasn't working out for me.

The week after I got out of the hospital passed, and I found my high school experience to be extremely dull. I was so done with high school, and all the pettiness that it associated with. Everyone excluding Angela got under my skin and grated my last nerve. I don't know how I dealt with them before.

Work was just as bad as school. Though it was the sole source of my income and the only time I got out of the house other than school, Mike was getting so infuriating that I seriously considered taking some of the rope we had stocked and strangling him with it.

He seemed to think that just because _he_ had left, I was fair game to ask out. Repeatedly.

He didn't seem to understand that the thought of another guy other than _him_ absolutely repulsed me. I could never imagine another man touching me like Edward did. I was in love with _him_, even after all the pain _his _very memory put me through. That would never change, and I wish that Mike would understand without me having to be mean about it. I didn't want to be mean to Mike, because I knew that underneath all his pushy behavior was a nice kid.

But if he touched me one more time, I swore to myself that I'd find the rope.

. … .

"Dad, I want to go get a haircut."

Charlie blinked at me, surprised. He still hadn't gotten used to me calling him 'dad' yet. I had thought about it, in one of my restless nights that sleep was a ridiculous idea to contemplate, and decided that, while it had been okay to call him 'Charlie' when he had played no significant role in my life, now that he was such a big role in my life, it was unfair of me to continue to do so.

He might have also been surprised that I requested something of him. I hadn't done that in quite some time.

"Uhh…" he stumbled, not sure how to answer. On one hand, my hair looked terrible. It really needed professional help, after all the havoc I had inflicted on it. On the other hand, I was grounded. Charlie was supposed to be withholding all forms of enjoyment from me, and to most kids, getting a haircut was a good thing.

I think it was because I wasn't most kids that he agreed to take me.

I walked into the neat, colorful haircut-place-thingy, and I found myself wondering what exactly they were called. I know that for guys it was called the Barber's, but for women? The hairdressers? That sounded familiar, so I decided to call it that.

My dad drove me to the place, and told me to call him from the payphone outside the door when I was done. I nodded, thanking him quietly. He grunted in response, and then awkwardly walked out of the place. It was obvious that he had been uncomfortable here, and I was glad for the time away from everyone I knew.

I looked at the woman at the counter, slightly surprised when I saw her. I hadn't wanted to go to the place in Forks, so my dad had driven me to Port Angeles. If this woman had worked at the place in Forks, my dad could have saved the trip. She looked absolutely _interesting_. Her hair was cut short, giving her a slightly androgynous look. She wore very little make up, only some light eye liner and mascara. Like most people in this sun-forsaken area, she was pale, but her arms and chest were lined with ink, bearing a story I found myself wanting to know.

It was weird, but I got a total _gay_ vibe from her, too. Not weird that she was gay, but weird because I knew it by looking at her. Like a gaydar, but I wasn't like that.

By the time that I realized I had been staring at her like an idiot, I noticed her grinning at me, like she could read every thought of my mind. But, then again, if she could do that, I think I would like her even more. I liked anyone that could do anything that _he _couldn't.

"Do you want a haircut?" she asked, obviously amused. I felt heat rush to my face, embarrassed. What if she had thought I was checking her out?

"Uhm…yeah," I said, cursing my lack of conversation skills. Way to look like an idiot in front of the totally cool looking lady.

"Alright then. Walk this way," she said, pushing herself lightly away from the counter she had been standing behind, walking around to the chairs towards the back of the room. She motioned for me to sit down, and I did, keeping my mouth shut to avoid further embarrassing myself.

"So…" she said, drawing out the word as she slid the sheet-like thing that I didn't know the name for around me, "My name is Alex, and I'm just wondering what attacked your head."

I looked in the mirror, and saw her grinning as she asked it, so I didn't get offended.

"I'm Bella, and I'm afraid to say that I did. Can you fix it?" I asked, and she laughed.

"Well, of course I can fix it. I'm a lesbian hairdresser, I can fix anything. But, why, might I ask, did you commit this crime on your head?" she asked, as she began to snip at what was left of my hair. She didn't even ask what I wanted, but for some reason, I trusted her.

"My ex-boyfriend used to love my hair when it was long. So I wanted it short. But I'm no lesbian hairdresser, and this is what I got."

She laughed then, and I grinned. It felt good to talk to someone who wasn't expecting me to pull out a razorblade and slash at my wrists any second.

"Well, that's quite obvious. If you _were_ a lesbian hairdresser, you would have done it right, or wouldn't have needed to do it at all. You know, because of the lack of a boyfriend part."

I found myself laughing with her, as we joked throughout the entire time I was there.

She did absolutely amazing on my hair. Having had me faced away from the mirror the entire time of the cutting process, when she spun me around, I nearly jumped out of my seat. She had taken a horrible, disastrous mess and had turned it into a great-looking haircut.

"You want to know the _best_ part about this haircut, Alex?" I asked, smiling so wide that my cheeks were starting to hurt.

"And what's that?"

"My ex would _still_ hate it."

"There you go!"

We laughed again, and she took the sheet-thing off, sending hair dropping to the floor. I stood up, patting myself free of any hair that had managed to get on me.

I felt myself getting increasingly sad as I approached the counter to pay Alex. I left her a twenty dollar tip, partly because she did a great job, and mostly because she had brightened my week. I said goodbye to her, and started heading to the door, when she called my name.

"Hey, Bella, you forgot your piece of paper!" she said, and I turned around, confused.

"What piece of paper?"

"The one you left on the counter. Here you go," she said, holding her hand out to me, with the paper resting in between the tips of her index and middle fingers.

Still confused, I took the paper. Looking at it, I saw a number. I felt a smile flash across my face.

"Thanks. I can't believe I almost forgot it."

"No problem."

. … .

It was the 29th of October before Charlie let me off my punishment. The next day, Jacob came knocking to my door.

I had been up in my room, reading. It was all I seemed to do, even though I could technically do whatever I wished to do, now.

Charlie was out at work, and it was starting to get dark outside. I wondered who could possibly be knocking, but in reality, I somehow knew who it would be before I opened the door.

Hauling myself out of bed, I hurried down the stairs, and over to the door. Pulling the curtain back a bit, I saw Jacob's cheerful face, and opened the door.

"Hi, Jacob," I said.

"Hey, Bella."

"Come in," I said, stepping aside to let him into the house. He was so huge, he had to duck his head to get through the doorframe. I laughed a bit.

"God, Jacob. What do they put in the water down there? When are you ever going to stop growing?" I asked, and he pretended to look offended.

"You know, if someone made fun of how short you were every time you saw them, I'm betting that you would get a little hurt," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Whatever. Suck it up," I said, with a grin, and he laughed a little. "What brings you to Forks?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah," he said, as if he had forgotten the purpose of coming for a moment. "I need your help at the reservation," he told me.

I was surprised, "Yeah, sure. Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine. We're just doing our own Halloween thing again, and the older kids wanted to mix it up for the little kids. That's when you come in."

"Okay," I said, surprised at how easy it was to agree to do something. It seemed like yesterday all I wanted to do was crawl under a rock and disappear. Or maybe that was yesterday. "Let me go change."

Jacob nodded, and I hurried up the stairs to go switch my tank top and shorts for a hoodie and jeans.

. … .

**Jacob's POV**

It was torture, not being able to see Bella during her punishment. The only thing that helped me through it was Bella's improved attitude.

Not that she wasn't still a depressed individual. No, she definitely was. A brush with death hadn't magically erased the wound in her heart, and hadn't magically healed all the hurt she had. No, not even close. It was more of a temporary solution to a semi-permanent problem. She chose to ignore the hurt, push it down inside of her into a deep, locked up place, in order to live semi-normally.

But the hurt was strong, and it would fight its way back up to the surface again. I knew it would, but what she was doing right now was fine with me.

Mostly because I was counting on being close to her when it _did_ resurface, and being able to hold her hand through it.

. … .

I'm not going to lie, it did irk me that the one new friend that Bella made was gay. That's all I needed, was more competition. But I knew Bella didn't see her romantically, and was surprised that she had begun to imagine introducing Angela to her new friend.

That comforted me a bit, and I allowed myself to admit that I was happy she was making friends. Hell, any kind of social interaction(that wasn't romantic, obviously) Bella had with another human being just about sent me into bursts of dance.

. … .

"Bella's having a good day today," Paul marked, as I entered Emily's house for breakfast. I headed here just about every morning for this reason. I wondered how we hadn't eaten her and Sam out of a house yet.

I looked at him oddly, confused.

"Dude, what are you talking about?" I asked, and couldn't help but feel a hint of possessiveness towards Bella. Every since Paul had made that comment about Bella being hot, I was more aware of how appreciative he was of her.

Needless to say, Paul and I weren't on the best of terms at the moment.

"Chill, dude. I wasn't making a joke about her. You just are in a good mood, is all. That means Bella is, too. She has you whipped, dude, and she doesn't even know it," Paul said, grinning as he chewed his biscuit.

"Yet." Embry quipped, and he, Paul, and Sam laughed. I couldn't help but laugh, too, even if it was at my own expense.

"Man, can you imagine what she's going to do when she _does_ know?" Emily asked, from behind the stove. "We Imprints have a lot of power. Why, just last week, I made Sam play with my niece Claire. She got play makeup for her birthday, and Sam was her Barbie for the night." She was grinning deviously as she said this, and Paul, Embry and I busted out in laughter at the image of our Alpha with makeup on.

"How did you manage to keep that from us?" Embry asked, through the laughter.

"It's not something I exactly wanted to remember. Or have you all know," he said, looking darkly over at Emily. She blew him a kiss, and his anger instantly dissolved. I felt a twinge of jealousy in my stomach, wondering when I would have such an intimate connection with Bella.

The thought lifted my spirits, oddly. Mostly because I realized I had thought _when_ and not _if._

. … .

"Leah is sick. She can't play Dask'iya."

The news was given to me by Sam, who was the head of the activities we held for the little kids, around Halloween each year. It taught them about their culture, and was fun.

Dask'iya was a role that only a young woman could play, and the only two that had volunteered were Leah and Emily, and Sam didn't want Emily to play the part. Because of what Dask'iya was, Emily's scars would leave her open for mocking.

I frowned, "That's not good."

"No shit. What are we going to do?" he asked me, and I was struck by an idea.

"I'll get Bella to play the part. Dask'iya is pale in the legends, anyway," I suggested, and Sam grinned, as if he should have known Bella would have been the first to pop into my mind.

"Go ask her. If that doesn't work, beg. Emily will never forgive me if we skip that activity."

Though I was sure she would have, I nodded, and started off towards Bella's house.

I stopped by the forest to Phase back into my human form, and pulled on the shorts I had brought with me, as well as the shoes. When Bella couldn't concentrate, walking around barefoot with her would have been fine, but because she was now paying more attention to things in general, it might lead to her asking questions.

I walked up to her door, knocking. I listened with a small smile as she scuffled about in her room, and hurried down the stairs. The curtains on the door's window opened for a second, and I was welcomed by her beautiful, chocolate eyes. They disappeared for a second, but before I could feel the loss, the door was opened.

"Hi, Jacob," she said, and her voice lifted a weight off of my shoulders that I hadn't even realized was there until it was gone. I felt so light that I could float up into the sky.

"Hey, Bella," I said, tasting her name on my tongue. It had been so long since I saw her, and her smell was overwhelming. She was definitely showering regularly, I was happy to discover.

"Come in," she said, stepping aside. I moved forward, slouching a bit to get through the door. I was now about six-five(I had realized I was a full foot and an inch taller than Bella, now), and it was difficult to get through most doorways.

Bella seemed to notice this, and decided to make fun of me.

"God, Jacob. What do they put in the water down there? When are you ever going to stop growing?" she asked, amused. I felt myself wanting to grin, but I faked being offended.

"You know, if someone made fun of how short you were every time you saw them, I'm betting that you would get a little hurt," I said, crossing my arms over my bare chest in an attempt to show how hurt I was.

She grinned, "Whatever. Suck it up," I laughed a bit. She paused for a second, and then spoke again. "What brings you to Forks?"

_You. You're what brings me to Forks. Always you, every time, _I thought, realizing that it was true, and had been, even before I Imprinted on her. I was always trying to get my dad to come down here to watch the game with Charlie because I wanted to see Bella. Pathetic. Paul was right. I was so totally whipped.

"Oh, yeah," I realized that I needed to answer. "I need your help at the reservation," I told her, keeping the specifics a secret, for now..

She looked surprised, "Yeah, sure. Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine. We're just doing our own Halloween thing again, and the older kids wanted to mix it up for the little kids. That's when you come in."

"Okay," she said, and my heart soared at how easy it was for her to agree. "Let me go change," she said, and I nodded. I allowed myself to take in what she was wearing for the first time just as she turned to go back up the stairs, and I had to close my eyes. She was wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top, with no bra.

I listened as she walked up the stairs, and into her room. Images of her changing flashed into my mind. Images of Bella doing things that she would _never_ do while getting dressed, except in my mind. Or maybe she would, once she fell in love with me. Or maybe, better yet, _I_ could do them for her…

I mentally slapped myself. Bella was in no condition for me to think things like that about her. I swallowed, calming myself down as she finished dressing and fixing her hair and such. I very carefully kept my thoughts about Bella 'PG' as she did so.

Jeeze. My Imprint even _changes_ in the same _house_ as me, and she has me acting like a fourteen-year-old virgin again. This could be very bad, in the future. Oh, man.

She came bounding down the stairs, then, and I was glad that I had managed to get in control of myself.

"You know, you're a lucky man, Jacob Black," she said, as she put her coat on. _You could say that again_, I thought, and then scolded myself again. _Knock it off, knock it off, knock it off…_

"Why's that, Isabella Swan?" I asked.

"Dad _just _let me off groundagement yesterday," she said.

Oh, that. That was common knowledge. I'd known from the minute Charlie told her, and had gone off skipping to tell my packmates. Well, not exactly _skipping_, but, you know, close.

"Oh, well, then. I'm one very lucky guy, indeed."

She laughed, and grabbed her keys. She knew that I had walked here without even asking me.

"How did you know I walked?" I asked.

She looked confused. "Oh. Well…I don't know. I just did, I guess," she said, with a shrug, as she walked towards the door. I grinned, and followed her out to the old truck I had fixed up for her. I liked the fact she loved it so much.

Before long, we were driving down the highway, towards La Push.

"So, what exactly am I going to be doing?"

"You're going to be chasing little kids around and making 'omnom' noises at them for the evening," I told her, and she looked at me for a second, confused.

"Okay…want to tell me why I would do that, exactly?" she asked, looking back at the road.

"You're playing Dask'iya. She's a woman from our legends that eats small children," I told her, cheerfully, and Bella snorted. "What?" I asked.

"I'm so honored that when you need someone to play a cannibal woman that eats children, you think of me, Jacob Black."

I grinned, "Dask'iya was a beautiful woman, and of course you're the first one I think of when we need one of those, Isabella Swan," I said honestly.

I listened to her heartbeat speed up, and turned my head away to look out the window, so she wouldn't see me smiling.

"Whatever. Don't try to kiss up," she said, but I could tell she was embarrassed. In the good way.

"Oh, I would never _dream_ of kissing up on you. You might eat me if I tried," I said, knowing that I was flirting but not being able to help myself. I wasn't getting any angry or sad feelings from her, though, so I didn't feel too bad about doing it.

"Hmph," was all she said to that, but I peaked and saw a small smile on her face.

. … .

When we arrived back on the reservation, I took her to Emily's. I was nervous, because I knew my entire pack would be there, and this was the first time they would be meeting Bella. I felt like I was taking her to meet my parents or something.

"Emily's going to get you in makeup, and then Sam will bring you to where you have to be," I told her, and she nodded.

"Don't stare at Emily," I told her, as we walked up to the house, "Sam doesn't like when people do that."

"Why would I stare?" she asked, but I didn't answer.

I opened the door to Emily's, and Bella and I were greeted by Emily's kitchen and sounds of laughter. It looked like an organized mess, so very unlike what it was normally. Parts of costumes littered the table, with plates that I assume once held food sitting in between the scraps of clothing. Costume makeup and glow-in-the-dark paint scattered the counter top, and Paul sat on a stool as Emily put his costume makeup on.

She was facing us with her scarred side, and I knew Bella understood why she shouldn't stare.

I cleared my throat, and Emily looked up at me. Her eyes slid over to Bella, then back to me.

"Hey, Emily. This is Bella. She's Chief Swan's daughter. She's going to play Dask'iya, since Leah is sick," I told her, and she smiled, dropping the brush she was using to paint Paul's lips with.

"Oh, Paul, you look so _pretty_," I said, resulting in a growl from Paul.

"Boys, behave. Don't need to be acting like a bunch of wolves in front of Bella," Emily said, and I nearly choked on my own spit.

"Are you okay, Jacob?" Bella asked, as I coughed. I nodded, turning away from her so I wouldn't cough in her face. When it finally stopped, I turned back around. I was greeted by Bella's concerned face, and my heart soared again.

"Well, dear. I would offer you some pumpkin pie, but the other boys just came through here a few minutes before you got here. I'm afraid you missed it," Emily said to Bella, and I frowned. I had wanted some of that pumpkin pie.

"Yeah, and it was reaaalllyyy good, too," Paul quipped, from the stool. I shot a look at him.

"Shut up, gorgeous," I said, dryly, grinning when Paul glared at me.

"Boys, I said _behave_," Emily said, as she led Bella to another stool, sitting her down on it to be attended to after Paul.

. … .

It was just after eleven, and the festivities were finally dying down. The kids were tired after a long night of running around, looking for candy, and hiding from flesh-eating monsters.

The adults were tired, too. Everyone headed back to Emily and Sam's, for some late night dinner before bed. Or, in my case, patrol.

I even coerced Bella to come before going back to Forks. I had pulled the 'Emily will be hurt if you don't want to eat her food' card on her, and sure enough, she came without much persuasion on my part. I hoped that the feeling that she was looking for excuses to stay around me was the truth and not just in my head.

We were the last ones to arrive to Sam and Emily's house, and as I opened the door, we were welcomed this time by a sharp sound of skin hitting skin, and Emily say loudly, "I _told_ you that that plate is for Bella, Embry. _Don't_ make me tell you again!"

"Hey guys," I called, as we walked into the house, Bella grabbing my hand. I was surprised by that, but I didn't let it show on my face. Still, I squeezed her small hand lightly, holding myself back from doing a little jump of joy. "Smells great. Did you save any for me?" I asked, approaching the table.

"Nope, just for Bella," Emily said, and I must have had a display of shock cross my features, because the table burst out into laughter. "Of course I saved you some," Emily said.

I looked back at Bella, and she was smiling.

"Thank you, Emily. I can't wait. Do you mind if I wash this makeup off real quick, first?" she asked politely, and Emily smiled.

"Sure. Jake will show you where the bathroom is," she said, before continuing to eat what was on her plate, lightly slapping Sam's hand away when he tried to steal her biscuit.

"It's this way," I said to Bella, as I lead her down the hallway and around the corner, to the small bathroom. "Here it is," I told her.

As I turned around to face her, she moved forward into me, wrapping her arms around my waist.

My world stood still for a moment. Isabella Swan, my soul mate, was hugging me. The wolf inside me churned with satisfaction, and I wrapped my arms around her shoulders.

"Thanks for today, Jake. It was really nice to get out and have fun," she said, making no move to pull away.

"Sure, sure. No problem, Bella," I said quietly, my voice soft with the love I felt for her.

After about a minute, she pulled away, smiling lightly. I could tell she was slightly embarrassed, and she turned around into the bathroom, shutting the door.

I walked back to the kitchen, noticing that it was suspiciously quiet. As I turned the corner, I heard hushed whispers and the scrapping of chair legs on the ground and heavy footsteps as everyone hurried back to their seats.

I smiled as I walked into the kitchen, pretending that I didn't know about their little invasion of privacy.

Because, honestly, I was glad they knew. I wanted everyone to know. Isabella Swan had hugged me.

I was on cloud nine.

. ... .

**Author's Note: **

**Okay, so, Angela is totally gay. I had this insight while reading Eclipse the other day. It's the truth. I might even do a little bonus chapter with AngelaxAlex, simply because I want to and it's my story, so there. **

**If you don't like the gayness, don't comment on it. I threw in plenty of hetero love, so no need to hate on the homo. It's all good.**

**That being said, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter! It's muuuch longer. Please review!**


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